At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Drive
No fewer than six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were injured, including 5 who remain in critical condition.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.
The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.
The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.
Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Order has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
